Can’t comment on the smaller engines, but we’ve got the 1600 vti in our Shitroen C3 Picasso.

It’s OK, but gets thrashy when revved and you do need to rev it to get things moving.
The slabby front of the car means at motorway speeds it is pretty unresponsive, but that is to be expected

It uses a lot of oil and we probably only average around 36-38mpg.

It also kangaroos a bit when the weather is cold for the first few hundred yards.
It’s only just had a service, which didn’t cure it so I need to drop it in and ask about that.

Regarding servicing….it’s 20k service intervals.

WRT the oil and kangarooing my Wife had a 308 a few years back with the same engine and that had both of those ‘features’ too.
It felt better in the 308 though; I guess it was perhaps a bit lighter (not sure) and not so draggy at speed.

A close relative has a 3 cylinder VW Polo bluemotion (they’re all badged Bluemotion apparently, but this one is the full Monty bluemotion model with all the eco stuff on it). It’s about 900 ccs or thereabouts. Very very impressive indeed. Thinking of getting one myself. I’ve driven it and been a passenger in it and been semi looking into getting one. 100bhp, no lack of power. Silent engine noise on motorway and cruising. Has done an average 70mpg on one motorway trip (albeit at 60 all the way), but usual is 50s to 60mpg. Doesn’t use oil, a year old and done 10,000 plus miles. No faults so far. Very very impressive motor. There’s a new Polo imminent and looks like they’re selling off old stock now rather than taking new orders. I don’t know if there’s a replacement for that model or if keeping same engine. I’m tempted. Only thing putting me off is that a new old model will depreciate like a brick. I’ve genuinely not been in such a silent engine noise car of this size on the motorway before. It does have an individual offbeat noise when revved hard on A roads though (is only silent at steady cruise). Hers is warrantied to 5 yrs (she paid extra for that but wasn’t much apparently). It’ll probably move on to someone else by then. Zero car tax too.